Buckle



E. C. ELSNER May 2, 1961 BUCKLE Filed April 6, 1959 IN ENTOR EZW/A/ C. figs/vae w M flrraewsys.

BUCKLE Edwin C. Elsner, Glendale, ,CaliL, assignor to Aeroquip iCorporation, Jackson, Mich., a corporation of- Michgan Filed Apr. c, 1959, Ser. No. 304,416 I 1 Claim. 01. 24-170 This invention relates to a buckle for use with a strap or webbing used generally for securing cargo.

Buckles intended for such use are required to be of rugged construction and suitable for quick attachment and release. It is also particularly desirable to provide that such buckles may securely lock on a strap or webbing at i an infinite number of locations along the length thereof,

without damage to the strap or webbing, so that firm cargo tie-down may be readily accomplished on cargos of varying shapes and sizes.

An object'of the present invention is to provide a buckle having positive gripping means which will hold firmly a strap or webbing at any desired place along the length of said strap or webbing under strong tension without damage to said strap or webbing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a buckle which, although capable of firm locking under tension, is also capable of quick release.

A further object of the invention is to provide a buckle of the character described which is simple in design and easy and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.

Another object of the invention is to provide a buckle which may be readily mounted on a length of strap or webbing without intricate, tortuous threading and which i may also be quickly and easily dismounted.

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of a buckle in the" position shown in Figure l.

nited States Patent said body structure, and preferably, the surface end 32 is rounded so that it will not damage the webbing which in operation is disposed around said end 32 in the man ner hereinafter described. I

' Pivotally mounted on side frame members 22 and 23, as by pin or axle 40, in spaced relationship to pressure plate 30, and particularly in spaced relationship to fiat surface 31 thereof, and similarly spanning the distance betwen said side frame members 22 and 23, is eccentric plate 41, having corrugated surface 42 at one end thereof disposed in juxtaposition to'flat surface 31 of pressure plate 30. Adjacent said corrugated surface 42 is concave curved surface 43. The other end of said eccentric Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3, but with the buckle in unlocked position.

A piece of webbing 10 has suitable anchor means 11, adapted to secure webbing 10 to a fixed position 12, mounted on said webbing 10 as by means of a bight 13, and is secured to a buckle body structure 20 by any suitable means, such as by forming a second bight 14 around a cross-pin 21, and by stitching, riveting, or otherwise securing the free end 15 of said webbing 10, as at 16.

A buckle body structure 20 has side frame members 22 and 23, arranged in spaced parallel relationship to each other, and cross-pin 21, rigidly mounted on said side frame members 22 and 23, spans the distance between side frame members 22 and 23 at one end thereof.

Rigidly mounted on side frame members 22 and 23 at the end thereof opposite the end at which cross-pin 21 is mounted is pressure plate 30 also spanning the distance between side frame members 22 and 23. Pressure plate 30 has flat surface 31 and end 32 disposed inwardly in plate 41 is preferably extended, as at 44, to act as a pressure release lever in the manner hereinafter described.

Also pivotally mounted on side frame members 22 and 23 internally thereof but externally of eccentric plate 41 at opposite sides thereof are rocker arms 50 and 51. A preferredform of pivotally mounting said rocker arms 50 and 51 is to mount them on the pin or axle 40 on which eccentric plate 41 is pivotally mounted. V Rocker arms 50 and 51 have extended ends 5-2 and 53 respectively, and mounted on said extended ends 52 and 53 and spanning the distance therebetween is bar or pin 54. Said pin 54 is disposed at an angle slightly above the lower end of surface 32 as viewed in Figure 3 of the drawings.

Rocker arms 50 and -51'have stops 55 and 56 formed thereon in proximity to curved surface 43 of eccentric plate 41. The other ends 57 and 58 of rocker arms 50 and 51 have stop extensions 59 formed thereon.

A free end of a length of webbing 71, which may be equipped with suitable anchor means 72 to secure said webbing 71 to a fixed position 73, is threaded into the buckle 20 by disposing it over pin 54 and under pressure plate 30, then doubling it back around end 32, then disposing it between flat surface 31 of pressure plate 30 and corrugated surface 42 of eccentric plate 41, and then pulling it free of the buckle.

In operation, when free end 70 of webbing 71 is thus disposed, pull tension may be freely applied to free end 70, and said webbing 71 will freely slide around pressure plate 31 to a taut position, without interference from corrugated surface 42 of eccentric plate 41. When all slack has been removed from webbing 10 and webbing 71, and desired tension is acquired, downward pressure on pin 54 will cause rocker arms 50 and 51 to swing downward, in turn causing stops 55 and 56 to impinge on curved surface 43 of eccentric plate 41. Eccentric plate 41 will thus be caused to turn sufficiently to bring corrugated'surface 42 of eccentric plate 41 into firm contact with free end 79 of webbing 71, securely locking it inposition between fiat surface 31 of pressure plate 30 and corrugated surface 42 of eccentric plate 41.

When it is desired to slacken the tension in webbing 10 and 71, or to remove free end 70 from buckle 20, it is only necessary to apply downward pressure to extended end 44 of eccentric plate 41, whereupon corrugated surface 42 of eccentric plate 41 will turn out of contact with free end 70 of Webbing 71, which will then be free to slide freely around flat surface 31 and end 32 of pressure plate 30 and over pin 54.

Extensions 59 serve as stops by impinging on pressure plate 30 when downward pressure is applied to extended end 44 of eccentric plate 41, thus controlling the total travel of eccentric plate 41 and assisting in the threading operation hereinabove described.

While the instant invention has been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and 70 preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein Patented May 2, 1961? but is to be accorded the full scope of the claim so as to embrace any and all equivalent structures and devices.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

, A quick release buckle for fastening two lengths ofwebbing which comprises: a body structure having parallel side frame members; means for securing one length of webbing to one end of said body structure; a pressure plate rigidly mounted on said body structure at the opposite end of said body structure and spanning the distance between said side frame members; a fiat surface on said pressure plate; a second plate pivotally mounted at one end of said second plate to said body structure in spaced relationship to said pressure plate; an eccentric corrugated surface on said second plate in juxtaposition to said pressure plate; rocker arms having ends pivotally mounted at one end thereof to said body structure; stops on said pivoted ends of said rocker arms and adapted to References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,513,169 Griswold June 27, 1950 2,622,293 We'rmlinger Dec. 23, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 252,595 Switzerland Oct. 1, 1948 

